128 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 



No brancli of study gives so much pleasure, and as its new 

 beauties are unfolded to the 'eye of the observer, he will feel as the 

 poet felt when" he wrote: 



"But who can paiut 

 Like Xatuie? Cau imaginariou boast, 

 Amid its gay creation, hues like hers, 

 Or can it mix them with such matchless skill, 

 Aud lose them iti each other, as ajjpears 

 lu every bud that blows?"' 



A knowledge of botany is necessary to enable one to select 

 such plants as are suited to the climate and soil. The agricultiir- 

 ist must know the habits of plants and their modes of growth so 

 that he can prepare his ground giving to each its appropriate 

 food. We have to a great extent, passed the mere experimental 

 stage, when every farmer might make his own experiments. 

 Competition is now too active, and the products of the soil are 

 not sufficiently renumerative to allow every farmer to work out 

 his own methods of profitable plant production. The farmer 

 must, like every other man who wishes, or expects to meet with 

 success, learn all there is for him to learn, in his particular line 

 of work; and while he may add much to the general fund of 

 knowledge, by careful observation, yet he must, except in rare 

 cases, turn over the work of original research to those who have 

 leisure and opportunity for research. No calling in life requires 

 more intelligence and all around mental development than that 

 of the successful farmer; and of prime importance in his develop- 

 ment, must be the knowledge of plants, with all that this in- 

 cludes.- 



Nor can we be content with what we, today, consider the 

 useful plants. Men must be trained to observe, not alone with 

 the eye of the past, but with added acuteness, we should see 

 what our fathers could not, did not need to see. There are too 

 many in the world who see nothing. • Agassiz said of the great 

 number of students he had trained, but two had become observ- 

 ers, two who could really see. 



The plants we now deem useful are but a part of those the 

 coming generations will find adapted to their wants. Linnaeus 

 knew, at most but 8800 plants, and most of this number were 

 not ranked among the useful plants. Europe now gathers 4200 



